Benefits to your area
What benefits might your Community Led Housing Project
bring to your area?
Community led housing by its nature and intention
aims to create social impact. In the Tees Valley community led housing groups provide affordable housing not only for local housing need and area
improvement, but also as a vehicle to deliver other benefits.
In the Tees Valley, this includes services that
support people who have experienced problems with homelessness, mental health and social exclusion; personal development and employment training; and
business start-up support for self-employment.
The impact associated with community led housing schemes vary by individual scheme but will involve some or all the following:
For residents – quality affordable housing:
- Improved health and well-being. Safe and secure housing provides stability and the foundations that promote greater
- independence and enable better life chances and the opportunity to achieve potential.
- Affordability helps reduce financial difficulties, enables better financial management, and reduces the experience of poverty.
- Enhanced prospects through gaining skills and work experience and contributing to greater resilience.
For local communities – engaged, enabled and empowered:
- Greater community cohesion through inclusive and meaningful involvement and participation and shared ownership of solutions.
- Stronger sustainable communities that are more resourceful, self-determined and able to contribute to meeting need at a local level.
- Improved neighbourhoods with a better living environment where people are happier to choose and want to live.
For Local Authorities – valued use of resources:
- Increased availability of affordable housing helps address housing needs to reduce homelessness, overcrowding, isolation, social needs presented by poor housing.
- Reduced demand on health and social care resources through improved well-being and health.
- Greater social inclusion through housing and services specialising in reaching out to people on low income, from BME groups, homeless and disadvantaged.
For the local economy – growth and prosperity:
- Increased local business in building and construction and service industries.
- More training and apprenticeship placements to develop skilled and experienced workforce.
- Job creation providing more employment opportunity.
- More sustainable community businesses.
For the environmental – respect and protection:
- Reduced carbon emission through strategies to reduce fuel poverty by improving and creating more energy efficient homes.
- Reduced waste and retained embodied energy through reuse and refurbishment of existing buildings rather than demolition.
